Air intake system

ABSTRACT

Auxiliary device for air intake in gas turbine operated railway vehicles in which an enclosed space 14 placed around a gas exhaust outlet nozzle means for the gas turbine is provided with directionally selective air intake orifices 20, 22, a pipe conduit 26 connected to the enclosed space around the exhaust means. The pipe conduit terminates in a flared opening 28 placed adjacent to a suction filter caisson. The system performs to provide heated fresh air to prevent the collection and the reduction in the collection of any snow that may enter air intake means and passes to the suction filter or snow elimination and reducing means.

United States Patent [191 Nov. 26, 1974 Pelabon AIR INTAKE SYSTEM [75] inventor: Andr E. Pelabon, Paris, France [73] Assignee: ANF Frangeco S.A., Courbevoie,

France [22] Filed: Apr. 13, 1973 Appl. No.: 350,812

Primary ExaminerCharles Sukalo [57] ABSTRACT Auxiliary device for air intake in gas turbine operated railway vehicles in which an enclosed space 14 placed around a gas exhaust outlet nozzle means for the gas turbine is provided with directionallyselective air intake orifices 20, 22, a pipe conduit 26 connected to the enclosed space around the exhaust means. The pipe conduit terminates in a flared opening 28 placed adjacent to a suction filter caisson. The system performs to provide heated fresh air to prevent the collection and the reduction in the collection of any snow that may enter air intake means and passes to the suction filter or snow elimination and reducing means.

5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure AIR INTAKE SYSTEM CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED INFORMATION AND REFERENCES This application for patent is 'copending with at best the following related applications concurrently filed herewith:

Ser. No. 350,807 for Gas Turbine Self-Propelled Railway Train; Ser. No. 350,811 for Engine Compartment and Ser. No. 350,813 for Air Intake.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an anti-snow collection device in which an auxiliary heated air supply is developed in a self-propelled railway train and is fed to melt snow or ice that may have collected on air intake means for the prime thermal engines. More particularly cle's, is collected by an inlet port located on the outer surface of the power car. The entire surface of this inlet is equipped with directional vents that facilitate the introduction of air into the pipe toward the turbine inlet filter. Following atmospheric disturbances inducing the formation of snow and/or road ice, some of these main vents are likely to clog, hence reducing the intake suction surface, thereby triggering disturbances in the operation and output of the thermal engine.

2. Background of the Invention It is an object and purpose of the invention to achieve with no energy loss an auxiliary air supply enabling the turbine to perform at essentially maximum yield whatever the atmospheric conditions are under which the railway vehicle is running.

To this end, there is placed peripherally to the gas exhaust outlet terminating at or near the roof opening, an enclosed chamber or space formed by sheet metal forming a chamber equipped with air-intake orifices and an outlet to direct air to an aspiration filter. Part of the exhaust includes sound or noise deadening or noise attenuating devices such as pieces of glass fiber and the like.

These orifices are located behind and in front of the flange formed by the exhaust noise dampener, so that there is always one opening oriented in the trains forward direction. This enclosed space is connected to a rational pipe ending in a flare located in front of the turbine inlet filter caisson.

The intake orifices are arranged around the turbines gas exhaust outlet mount in the vehicle roof, so that the air enters and circulates by itself within the enclosed space, with no need to produce an additional energy outlay to evacuate it to the inlet filter, independently of the forward direction of the train.

An automatically or manually-driven register makes it possible to stop or reduce the auxiliary air supply depending on changes in the weather.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEW OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawing in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, there is shown mounted for a railway vehicle (not shown) a turbine gas exhaust 10 disposed perpendicularly to a noise dampener device 12. An enclosed space 14 consisting of and defined by crinoline or stiff cloth covered with a metal sheet on plate 16 is equipped on its upper part with an air inlet orifices 20, 22.

If the railway vehicle is moving in a direction of the arrow f, air enters via the inlet orifice 20; when the train is moving in a direction opposite to that of arrow f, air enters the enclosed area via inlet orifice 22.

judicious locating of the air intake orifices 20, 22 in the direction of the forward movement of the train enables the introduction of air into the enclosed space 14, as well as its circulation in the conduit 26 ending at the flare 28 located in front of suction filter caisson 30 with no need to favor the movement of air in the auxiliary supply device.

A butterfly valve on register 34 is placed in the conduit 26 for making it possible manually or automatically by drive means 36 to modulate the air circulation if necessary, notably in order not to introduce hot air into the suction filter 30 or in order to eliminate the use of the auxiliary supply device.

The components constituting the auxiliary supply device of the invention are assembled together so as to facilitate the ease of assembly and disassembly of each part that goes to form the whole assembly.

Additional embodiments of the invention in this specification will occur to others and therefore it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the appended claims and not by the embodiments described hereinabove. Accordingly, reference should be made to thefollowing claims in determining the full scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a self-propelled railway car of the type wherein the motive power is supplied by a thermal engine having an air intake filter means for communication with the exterior of the car, and an exhaust means for combustion geses, said railway car being provided with an opening in the roof for the egress of said combustion gases, said exhaust means comprising an upwardly extending tubular structure for conveying said gases from a thermal engine, the upper end of the tubular structure terminating above the roof line of the car, a wall surrounding said tubular structure spaced outwardly therefrom defining an enclosed space, said enclosed space being provided with a pair of inlet orifices disposed above said roof line and on opposite sides of said tubular structure for alternatively receiving air from the exterior of the car in response to movement of the car in alternative directions, said enclosed space also being provided with an outlet conduit in the interior of the car for distributing warmed air from said enclosed space to said intake filter means.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the wall of said tubular structure tapers outwardly and upwardly toward said roof line.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, wherein the wall 4. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said outlet conduit for warmed air includes valve means for controlling the distribution of air from said conduit 5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein said surrounding said tubular structure tapers outwardly 5 valve means includes automatic drive means.

and upwardly toward said roof line. 

1. In a self-propelled railway car of the type wherein the motive power is supplied by a thermal engine having an air intake filter means for communication with the exterior of the car, and an exhaust means for combustion geses, said railway car being provided with an opening in the roof for the egress of said combustion gases, said exhaust means comprising an upwardly extending tubular structure for conveying said gases from a thermal engine, the upper end of the tubular structure terminating above the roof line of the car, a wall surrounding said tubular structure spaced outwardly therefrom defining an enclosed space, said enclosed space being provided with a pair of inlet orifices disposed above said roof line and on opposite sides of said tubular structure for alternatively receiving air from the exterior of the car in response to movement of the car in alternative directions, said enclosed space also being provided with an outlet conduit in the interior of the car for distributing warmed air from said enclosed space to said intake filter means.
 2. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein the wall of said tubular structure tapers outwardly and upwardly toward said roof line.
 3. The invention defined in claim 2, wherein the wall surrounding said tubular structure tapers outwardly and upwardly toward said roof line.
 4. The invention defined in claim 1, wherein said outlet conduit for warmed air includes valve means for controlling the distribution of air from said conduit.
 5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein said valve means includes automatic drive means. 